Hannah Jane Shepard is the daughter of Sam Shepard and Jessica Lange, his lover of many years. Hannah’s parents are celebrated figures in Hollywood. Her late father was an actor, writer, and director, while her mother is a decorated actress. The couple had their daughter on 13 January 1986 and is 38 years old in 2024.
Hannah has always been in the eyes of the public, thanks to the status of her parents. But she also has a life of her own as she is an archival producer and professor who is respected in academia. That said, she still has so much about her personal and professional life that has remained pretty much unknown.
Summary of Hannah Jane Shepard’s Biography
- Full name: Hannah Jane Shepard
- Nickname: Hannah Shepard
- Gender: Female
- Date of birth: 13 January 1986
- Hannah Jane Shepard’s Age: 38 years old
- Ethnicity: Caucasian
- Nationality: American
- Zodiac Sign: Capricorn
- Hannah Jane Shepard’s Parents: Jessica Lange and Sam Shepard
- Siblings: Samuel Walker Shepard, Shura Baryshnikov, Jesse Mojo Shepard
- Famous for: Being the daughter of Sam Shepard
How Old Is Hannah Jane Shepard?
Hannah Jane Shepard is 38 years old as of 2024 and was born on 13 January 1986. She was birthed to her parents, Jessica Lange and Sam Shepard, and was brought up in a healthy and lovely environment together with her brother, Samuel Walker Shepard.
As regards her education, Shepard went to Sarah Lawrence College, where she studied writing. From there, she went on to obtain master’s degrees from the National University of Ireland and Fordham University.
Hannah Jane Shepard’s Parents Were Never Married
Hannah Jane Shepard’s parents had a relationship that lasted for many years, right from the early 1980s to the late 2000s, but this did not lead to marriage. The pair began their relationship, which was mostly tumultuous, in 1982 after first meeting on the set of the film Frances.
Before that time, she was married to a photographer, Paco Grande, a man she met in 1967 before getting married in 1970. The marriage lasted until the early 1980s, when they went their separate ways, and then their divorce was finalized in 1982. After she left Paco, Lange started yet another relationship with Choreographer Mikhail Baryshnikov.
Still, the relationship lasted only a short while before her onscreen love story with Sam translated to real life. On his part, Sam was previously married to O-Lan Jones, whom he met through her stepfather. They got married in 1969, but they officially divorced in 1985, by which time he had already started seeing Lange for three years.
Sam, who revealed to friends through a letter that it saddened him to have left his first wife and kid for Lange, also revealed that he loved her in a way he could not describe. The pair got engaged at a point while they were together, but by 2004, things went out of control due to Shepard’s drinking, bad habit, and fiery temperament. Nonetheless, they remained together for the sake of their children until 2009, when they went their separate ways.
Hannah Jane Shepard’s Siblings
Hannah Jane Shepard is not the only child between Sam Shepard and Jessica Lange in their many years together. She has a younger brother, Samuel Walker Shepard. Born on 14 June, Samuel is also a very popular individual who, beyond his parents’ fame, has become known as a musical artist.
The 38-year-old is a member of the American musical band—the Down Hill Strugglers alongside Jackson Lynch and Eli Smith. Walker is the Guitarist of the band, which has released 7 albums thus far, including The Dust Busters (2009), Show Me The Way to Go Home (2014), and Lone Prairie (2017).
Hanna Shepard also has some more siblings from her parents’ previous marriages. She is a half-sister to American choreographer Shura Baryshnikov. Shura was born from the failed marriage of Lange to Mikhail in 1981.
Her much older half-sibling is Jesse Mojo Shepard. The famous playwright was born to her father from his short-lived marriage to O-Lan Johnes in May 1970, which means he is currently 54 years old.
Hannah Jane Shepard’s Father Died In 2017
On 27 July 2017, Hannah and her other family members suffered the loss of their patriarch, Samuel Shepard Rogers III, after he lost his life in Midway, Kentucky, United States. At the age of 73, Sam reportedly succumbed to a progressive nervous system disease known as Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS.
His death came to many as a surprise as neither the legendary actor and playwright nor his family members made it known that he was suffering from an illness. It was later revealed that he had been down with the condition for up to a year before it took him away.
Hannah remained very close to her father until he died. It was reported that while working on his last book, Spy Of The First Person, he became so sick that he could no longer hold the pen. At that point, he used a voice recorder for his sister or Hannah to transcribe.
Hannah Jane Shepard Works in Academia
While many might have expected that Hannah Shepard would cut a career in the entertainment business just as her parents and siblings, she has decided, on the contrary, to pitch her tent as an academician.
A professor, she has been involved in a lot of things including as a researcher, an educator, researcher, and script reader. Through the years, she has worked with numerous institutions, such as the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts and the Museum of the City of New York. Hannah has also worked with The Public Theater and the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History.
Needless to say, it is not surprising that she has managed to find a way of marrying what she does and the filming. Since she was brought up in such an environment, Hannah is recognized as an archival researcher and producer. Thanks to this, she has had projects with filmmakers such as Nancy Buirski and Catherine Gund.
Shepard has recorded several achievements in the past in the form of awards and recognitions. Some of her awards include the Loomie Prize from the History Department of Fordham University for her paper “Vanished in Plain Sight: Scots-Irish Presbyterians in Wisconsin, 1830-1890” and a 2019 nomination for the FOCAL Jane Mercer Researcher of the Year Award.
Hannah Jane Shepard’s Educational Qualifications
| School Attended | Achievements/Qualification |
| Minnesota’s Stillwater Sr. High School | – |
| Sarah Lawrence College | – |
| Fordham University | Degree in History |
| National University of Ireland | – |
| Harvard University | AM, PhD |
| SOAS | MA |
| University of Oxford | BA Hons |
FAQs
Who is Hannah Jane Shepard?
Hannah Jane Shepard is the 38 year-old daughter of the late American actor Sam Shepard and American actress Jessica Lange.
Where Did Hannah Jane Shepard Go To School?
Hannah Jane Shepard has attended various educational institutions around the world, including Fordham University, Harvard University, University of Oxford, etc.
Does Hannah Jane Shepard Have Siblings?
Hannah Jane Shepard has one full sibling and two half-siblings. She has a younger brother named Samuel Walker Shepard, a half-sister named Shura Baryshnikov, and a much older half-brother named Jesse Mojo Shepard.
Is Hannah Jane Shepard’s Father Still Present in Her Life?
Hannah Jane Shepard and her father, Sam Shepard, maintained a very close relationship until he passed away on 27 July 2017, aged 73. Sam reportedly succumbed to a progressive nervous system disease known as Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).